


Jealousy's a Bitch...Or Maybe it's Just the German

by lets_talk_appella



Series: PP3 Doesn't Exist Here [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Humor, Jealousy, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 04:59:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15089525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lets_talk_appella/pseuds/lets_talk_appella
Summary: All Beca/Kommissar interactions in PP2 (plus some additional content) as told from Chloe’s POV. Basically, an extremely jealous Chloe Beale. Largely cannon, but I added some things in the middle and at the end. Part of a series, but can stand alone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on Tumblr suggested that I try writing Jealous Chloe, and I had way too much fun with it. The result: this monster. This takes us through pretty much all of PP2 and the end of Worlds.

Okay. Fine. They’re good. And the blonde woman– what does their website say her name is? Kommissar? – is, well, extremely beautiful. That’s annoying. And okay, she can belt pretty decently. For a German tour-thief. Annoying.

The DSM performance ends and Kommissar surveys the crowd, her gaze settling on the group of Bellas. Suddenly, Chloe is forced to reconsider her initial impressions.

DSM had been good. But not that good. Not so good that they get to look over at the Bellas with that much arrogance and distain. Not so good that Kommissar gets to look at Beca like that. Like she’s some interesting challenge waiting to be overcome. It’s gross.

She’s looking at Beca like she’s a snack.

Chloe is fuming.

She no longer thinks Kommissar is beautiful.

No one gets to look at Beca like that. Moving closer to her protectively and glancing over, Chloe is pleased to see Beca glaring at the German woman. Well, maybe at the whole DSM group, but Chloe likes to think it’s focused on their blonde leader.

As DSM steps off the stage to head in their direction, Chloe hisses, “Stand your ground,” to the ranks of Bellas behind her. There can be no sign of weakness.

They all stare at the leaders of DSM as they approach: Kommissar and a huge guy. Chloe’s pretty sure his name is Pieter. She’d scouted their entire group online to gain as much intel on them as possible.

“Barden Bellas,” calls Kommissar as she reaches for a towel Pieter extends to her. “You came here to see us?”

Chloe crosses her arms and frowns; even this woman’s voice is incredibly alluring, deep and rich. It’s ridiculous. Beside her, she feels Beca cross her arms as well.

Kommissar stops in front of them and begins to dab her neck lightly with the proffered towel, though, as far as Chloe can tell, she’s not even sweating.

“Is it because you are – what do the American kids say – jelly?” she continues in her stupidly sexy voice with a small smile. Chloe notices that though she’s technically speaking to all the Bellas, her eyes never leave Beca’s.

Desperately wanting to force Kommissar to look at her instead, or really, at anyone but Beca, Chloe spits out, “We are so not _jelly_.”

Amy’s hand comes to rest on her shoulder as a sign of support. Meanwhile, Beca has yet to speak, still staring mutely at the tall German.

Kommissar barely spares Chloe a glance as she again addresses Beca. “We should really thank you for making this tour a reality,” she purrs. “You know, with your bumbling ineptitude.”

Okay, now Chloe’s pissed. Does Kommissar know she’s talking to three-time national a cappella champions?

Beca is no help whatsoever. She’s just staring. For God’s sake.

Kommissar continues as she turns to Pieter, “We should send them something. Fruit basket?” she suggests with raised eyebrows.

“Yum, yum,” he replies in a thick accent.

With a condescending smile, Kommissar focuses back on Beca alone and says nonchalantly, “Or would you prefer… mini muffins?”

That’s a low blow and Chloe wants nothing more than to wipe the smirk off her face. She is not allowed to talk about mini muffins to Beca.

At long last, Beca breaks her silence. With a rather excessive hand gesture, she cuts in, “Okay, we didn’t come here to start something with you guys, we just wanted to check you out before the Worlds where we’re gonna kick your ass,” she finishes confidently.

The Bellas “Ooohhh” from behind her as Chloe nods her approval at Beca’s words… though she would have preferred different phrasing. She hadn’t liked the look that came over Kommissar at the words ‘check you out.’

Kommissar then steps way too close to Beca for Chloe’s liking as she raises a finger to point at Beca, saying, “You? You are the kicker of ass?”

Chloe turns to see Beca appearing slightly intimidated as she looks up at Kommissar, who towers above her.

Beca breaks eye contact, and, glancing around, responds in a small voice, “Yeah.”

Chloe winces at the timid tone, a little confused as to what’s wrong with Beca; normally she can handle confrontation like this easily.

“You are so tiny,” Kommissar says with a smile. “Like an elf.”

Chloe’s eyes flick between Beca, who shrugs at the comment, and Kommissar, who continues in the same gloating tone.

“Or is it a fairy? Sprite?” She breaks away to glance at Pieter, asking something in rapid German.

He leans forward and supplies authoritatively, “Troll.”

Chloe’s jaw drops. That’s just offensive. She looks back at Beca to gauge her reaction and sees her shooting Kommissar a disbelieving glare.

Kommissar is still talking, her finger again coming up to point directly at Beca’s face. “That’s it,” she concludes, “you are like a troll.”

Chloe fights the urge to shove Kommissar’s hand, and maybe her entire body, away from Beca. If this German woman could stop staring into Beca’s eyes and smiling flirtatiously, that would be great, thanks.

Fortunately, Beca can defend herself; she draws in a deep breath and Chloe shifts her weight impatiently, waiting for Beca to deliver a great line. Sassy and sarcastic, Beca always knows how to end something like this.

She starts in a strangely loud voice, “You are physically flawless –”

“Thank you,” quips Kommissar, making Chloe’s blood boil.

“… but that doesn’t mean I like you,” finishes Beca lamely with an awkward head bob.

What? Chloe frowns heavily at Beca. What the hell was that supposed to be? And excuse me, but _physically flawless_? Has Beca lost her mind?

Silence settles over the group as even the DSM members look baffled.

“Um…” comes a quiet noise from Stacie at the back of the Bellas.

Knowing she needs to act fast to save the dumpster fire of a situation they’d found themselves in, Chloe inhales dramatically and says with as much gusto as she can muster, “We are not scared about Worlds because when the Bellas hit the stage, we are gonnna blow minds.”

She has no idea if this is true. But honestly, she’d say anything to erase what Beca had come up with.

Pieter cuts in, startling her; she’d forgotten he was even there.

“With what, more of Flabby Abby’s baby chute?” he sneers.

Amy moves from behind Chloe to put herself squarely in front of him, staring him down. She replies angrily, “That’s not my name.”

To Chloe’s irritation, the DSM guy continues his rude comments.

She tunes him and Amy out to focus on Beca, who looks lost and confused. She moves closer to smooth a hand surreptitiously between Beca’s shoulder blades, trying to ease some of the tension she finds there. Beca throws her a grateful look and Chloe feels herself relax slightly as well. Touching Beca reassures her that they’ll be okay, even as Beca returns her own attention to Kommissar. Chloe adds some pressure to her back rub.

However, her hand drops from Beca’s back when Kommissar interrupts Pieter and Amy, drawing everyone’s eyes back to her. Shaking her head, Kommissar murmurs in her low voice, “Darlings, please take my advice. Don’t try to beat us.”

Again, Chloe notices that she’s only talking to Beca. At this point, she suspects it’s not only because Beca’s a Bella co-captain. She wants to reach out to Beca again, but stops herself.

“You can’t,” continues Kommissar simply. “We’re the best.” She pauses only long enough to throw Beca a predatory smile before adding, “And now, I really must go rest my neck. It is sore from looking down at you.”

Chloe wants to dunk her head in bleach; Kommissar had used the most seductive tone known to man – and woman. She’s positive now – Kommissar is totally flirting with Beca. _Her_ Beca.

As Kommissar and the rest of DSM start to strut away, Beca finds her voice again, throwing her arms out to the side as she calls loudly, “Okay! Just because you are making me very sexually confused does not mean that you are intimidating!”

Chloe turns her face to Beca in shock. Did she just…? She reaches out to touch Beca’s shoulder, trying to get her to be quiet (and maybe say that to her instead), but is unable to stop the torrent pouring from Beca as more members of DSM file past.

“We have nothing to lose! We have literally nothing!” Beca’s shouting after Kommissar now, gesturing with her hands.

“Okay –” Chloe tries to calm her unsuccessfully.

“Aca-wiedersehen, bitches!” Beca finishes grandly, now positively flailing her arms above her head as DSM exits the showroom.

Chloe reaches out to her as Beca drops her gaze and covers her ears with her hands, mumbling desperately, “Oh, what is happening? Why am I using my hands so much?”

“Okay, um, let’s just move on from that, and you know what –” Chloe’s attempt to calm Beca is interrupted by Cynthia Rose’s lewd whistle.

“Beca, you got a lady toner?” CR asks. “I didn’t know you swung like that.”

Stacie jumps in, “I mean, who can blame you? She’s hot!”

Beca’s face turns bright red as she raises her index finger to wave it around, making dissenting humming noises in her throat. “Mmm, no, no, that’s not –”

CR interrupts, “Only one finger? That’s not enough, she’s huge.”

The Bellas, minus Chloe and Beca, collapse into giggles. Beca stares dumbly, her hand still suspended in air.

Chloe, not liking the direction this is going _at all_ , tries again to reign in the group. “Okay, that’s enough you guys, it was a high-pressure situation, Beca’s not –”

“It’s okay Beca, we’re sisters and we accept each other!” chimes Emily brightly.

Amy clears her throat and adds, “Yeah, there’s already a lot of lesbian activity here, Beca, so lesbi-honest with each other.”

“You got a problem with that?” comes CR’s voice.

Beca is still staring blankly, opening and closing her mouth. Chloe really wishes she’d put her hand down.

“Guys!” Chloe shouts, getting everyone’s attention and finally snapping Beca out of her haze as she lets her hand fall. “Focus. Beca is dating Jesse. That woman is nothing. Let’s move on.”

At the mention of Jesse, almost all the Bellas look surprised, as if they forgot he exists. Even Beca seems mildly confused when she turns to Chloe, who keeps talking.

“Right, so we just made ourselves look like idiots in front of the enemy. That’s bad. We need to get out of here and regroup so we have a better plan for next time,” Chloe speaks slowly and clearly, gesturing to the exit to emphasize her point. She really wants to leave.

“Let’s head out,” Beca agrees, causing all heads to swivel toward her. CR starts to smirk until Chloe makes eye contact, staring her down with her signature crazy eyes. CR’s expression rapidly changes to a more neutral one and she moves toward the door without another word. The rest of the Bellas follow her lead and move as a pack to exit, Beca and Chloe bringing up the rear.

“Thanks for that,” mumbles Beca as they walk. “I think I blacked out.”

“No worries. You did fine,” replies Chloe bracingly, briefly touching Beca’s upper arm reassuringly.

“Really?” Beca asks with a raised eyebrow.

Chloe hesitates, then decides to be honest. As they approach the same escalator that brought them in, she says, “Well, no, not really. You kind of babbled.”

With a groan, Beca steps onto the escalator, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. “What did I say?”

Chloe bites her lip. Avoiding Beca’s eyes, she mumbles, “You said she makes you sexually confused.”

Beca’s head snaps up and she stares at Chloe in shock. “Are – are you serious?” she asks.

Chloe grimaces and nods.

Beca’s eyes fill with panic and she inhales deeply before opening her mouth to speak. “Chloe, I…”

“It’s fine, Beca,” Chloe interrupts as they step off the escalator and back onto the ground floor. She realizes that she really doesn’t want to hear Beca confirm or deny anything having to do with _that_ woman. “We’ll recover, we’ll show them what we’ve got later. Just ignore the Bellas. They’re as nervous as we are.”

Beca looks like she wants to say more, but Chloe smiles and skips ahead to walk next to Lilly instead. She knows it’s a cheap move, but she wants time to think, and walking next to the quietest person in the group is a good way to do that.

She’s mad that they messed up so badly. She’s mad at DSM for sounding good. She’s mad at Pieter for being so rude to Amy. She’s mad at Kommissar for openly flirting with Beca. She’s mad at Beca for being so obviously flustered around Kommissar. But she’s mostly mad at herself.

She thought that after almost three years of seeing Beca with Jesse, she’d gotten over her jealousy. And yet, here it is again. She knows she’s a jealous person, she knows that Beca would never cheat on Jesse with anyone (she knows that too well), and she knows that she’s being completely irrational. She thought she’d gained some control over her feelings for Beca. But honestly. ‘Sexually confused.’ What does that even mean? Is Beca actually not completely straight like she’d thought? Because that’s new information leading to a whole slew of feelings that Chloe is currently shoving away as hard as she possibly can.

Even if Beca isn’t completely straight, there’s no way of anything happening between them. She is with Jesse. And even if she wasn’t, her type is apparently tall blondes. So, there’s that. Chloe furrows her eyebrows in frustration. Beca has never acted like that around her. She’d give anything to have Beca look at her like she looked at Kommissar…

“I know seven ways to disembowel a pig,” comes a harsh whisper from next to her. Chloe almost trips as her head snaps around to stare at Lilly, whose huge eyes gaze earnestly back.

“Um…” Chloe begins, utterly at a loss.

Fortunately, Stacie chooses that exact moment to turn and call back to Beca, “Hey, if you don’t want that German woman, I call dibs!”

“Stacie!”

* * *

The singing envelope invitation had been weird but also kind of exciting. The bald guy in his pajamas had been even weirder and less exciting. A riff-off, however, is just plain exciting.

As Beca and Chloe lead the Bellas further into the strange basement, Chloe starts to feel her anxiety and suspicions fade away. Rather than feeling afraid of being turned into a lamp by their self-proclaimed biggest fan, she begins to look forward to singing with her Bellas.

That is, until she spots who else is in the basement with them.

Kommissar and her giant co-captain are standing near the adjacent wall; before she can look away or pretend not to have seen them, Kommissar’s eyes lock onto their group. Or, specifically, onto the small brunette beside Chloe. Kommissar gives a slight smirk and Chloe watches as she and Pieter move toward them.

“Das Sound Machine. Two o’clock,” she whispers as warning to her Bellas, who escape to leave only her and Beca to deal with the DSM captains.

“Tiny Mouse! We meet again,” greets Kommissar upon her arrival, once again addressing only Beca.

Chloe’s mouth draws into a thin line of annoyance at the nickname.

Chloe’s displeasure does not go unnoticed by Kommissar, who shoots her a small, almost gloating smile. Dragging her eyes back to Beca, Kommissar places both hands on her hips, drawing attention to the defined abs on display under her crop top. Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe sees Beca’s gaze drop to follow the movement and stay there.

Blood pounding in her ears with anger, Chloe completely misses what Pieter says as she glares at Kommissar and shuffles closer to Beca. Kommissar flicks her eyes to Chloe for the barest instant, her smile widening. As Chloe returns to watching Beca (who is very obviously scanning the length of Kommissar’s body), she sees red. It’s apparent to her that Kommissar knows exactly what she’s doing and that she might even know where Chloe stands in all this.

Smiling directly at Beca, Kommissar asks haughtily, “So, have you abandoned your foolish plans to face us at the Worlds?”

Before Chloe can respond, Beca huffs confidently as she points at Kommissar, “You wish, you… gorgeous… specimen.” Her voice trails off at the end as she realizes what she’d just said, a look of panic crossing her face.

Chloe can only stare, cocking her head in complete confusion. Honestly. Beca is not making this easy.

Beca turns frantically to Chloe, covering her ears again and whimpering, “She’s really in my head.”

_No kidding,_ Chloe wants to retort, but Kommissar speaks again.

“Very well. I’d be happy to send you there. I’ll mail you. Large envelope,” Kommissar’s eyes rove shamelessly down Beca’s body and back up as she speaks. “Cost nothing.” She briefly snares her lower lip between her teeth.

Chloe is stunned. Good God. That had been the least subtle eye-undressing she’s ever had the misfortune to witness and she hates that it was directed at _her_ Beca. Risking a glance over, Chloe takes in the sight of Beca positively ogling Kommissar, her jaw slack. She resists the urge to slap her to bring her back to the present.

“Well, it would cost more than nothing, but still cheaper than shipping, like, a horse, or perhaps an adult moose,” says Pieter, thankfully snapping Beca out of her haze.

The small brunette takes a step forward, once again gesturing to Kommissar, and shouts “Did you ever think maybe you’re too big?!”

Surprised by the aggression in Beca’s voice, Chloe instinctively extends an arm in front of Beca to hold her back. No way is she letting Beca get crushed by Kommissar, who appears amused by Beca’s attempts to fight her.

“It would cost a fortune to mail you!” Beca tries to lunge forward but Chloe holds her back with a grunt of exertion.

Kommissar and Pieter don’t even flinch as Beca resists Chloe, calling out “You’re enormous!” as Chloe drags her away forcefully, urging her to be quiet.

As they move away, Chloe can clearly hear Kommissar’s amused voice as she suggests to Pieter, “I think we should change her name to Feisty Mouse.”

Beca keeps struggling as Chloe hauls her away with difficulty; for someone so small, she is surprisingly strong.

“Beca! Will you just stop?!” Chloe pleads and Beca finally goes limp in her arms.

“Why’d you stop me? I had them!” Beca insists as Chloe releases her and they stand off to the side of the room.

Raising her eyebrows in disbelief, Chloe responds, “Are you sure you didn’t black out again? Because that was definitely not –”

“Okay!” Beca interrupts, hiding her face in her hands. “I know! I’m sorry!”

Chloe sighs loudly. She knows she’s really angrier at Kommissar than she is at Beca, but she can’t seem to stop herself as she practically shouts, “You need to control yourself around her! What is wrong with you? You’re making it look like – like –” she cuts herself off and switches her tactic. “Like we don’t know what we’re doing! Seriously, what has gotten into you?”

Beca stares at her with wide eyes, small and contrite, and Chloe feels herself run out of steam at the look on her face. Running her hand through her hair, Chloe sighs and says, “Look… I didn’t mean to yell. I’m sorry. They’re just… they’re getting in my head, too.”

Beca nods rapidly and Chloe knows she’s been forgiven.

“I’m sorry, too,” Beca mumbles. “For the word vomit.” She looks down and rubs her hand across the back of her neck, suddenly awkward.

Chloe frowns; she recognizes Beca’s deer-in-the-headlights look and knows that something is really bothering her.

Beca takes a breath, still watching the floor, and says so quietly that Chloe has to lean in to hear her, “And… I’m sorry for, you know –”

She’s cut off by a loud, happy yell. “Becaw!” Chloe, startled, looks up to see Jesse bounding into view.

“Hey!” he exclaims excitedly. Chloe is reminded strongly of a Golden Retriever.

Surprised, Beca jerks away from Chloe to spin around to face Jesse. “Hey!” she replies breathlessly. “What are you doing here? What is going on?”

Her voice sounds off, Chloe notes. She seems stressed to see Jesse and Chloe can’t stop resentment from washing over her. Beca had clearly been about to say something important. However, they’d been interrupted yet again by this guy that apparently doesn’t communicate well enough with his own girlfriend. For God’s sake, they didn’t even know they’d be in the same place.

The sound of a gong rings out and their strange host starts yelling about ninja lasers. Jesse moves away from Beca, whose eyes flick back to Chloe apologetically before they listen to instructions for their riff-off.

Trying to calm herself, Chloe takes several deep breaths while their host announces the riff-off and conducts the beatboxing battle. The Bellas need to be in top form to beat those German Deutsch-bags. If the Bellas can win here, they’ll win at Worlds. If the Bellas win here, _that woman_ will leave Beca alone. They must win this riff-off.

Chloe’s eyes narrow as DSM starts the battle with intense beatboxing. Kommissar struts forward arrogantly, filling the neutral space between teams to ensure that all eyes are on her. Pieter starts to sing while Kommissar circles her hips, once again accentuating her abs. She’s extremely fit, as is the rest of DSM, Chloe notes with displeasure.

Glancing at Beca to gauge her reaction, Chloe expects to see the usual distain and amusement with which Beca typically views their competitors. However, her jaw drops with indignation when she sees that Beca is openly ogling Kommissar, closely examining her every twisting move as she dances. Attempting to get her attention, Chloe flicks her own hair over her shoulder and clears her throat, annoyed at Beca’s reaction; unfortunately, Kommissar chooses that moment to take over the singing.

Kommissar commands the room as she sings, her gaze traveling languidly to each group before coming to stop at the Bellas. Or, specifically, at Beca. Beca, caught staring, glances away awkwardly, but looks almost immediately back to Kommissar. In a strong yet seductive voice, Kommissar belts the line, “Let me see that thong,” as she lifts her hand to point directly at Beca.

From next to her, Chloe hears Beca make some sort of strangled noise, like a cat choking, even as Kommissar twists away slowly. In fact, several of the Bellas seem to have been affected; Stacie hums appreciatively, CR claps a hand over her mouth, and Lilly openly stares at Kommissar. She’d deny it if asked, but even Chloe has to admit Kommissar looks good in that top.

Shoving the thought aside impatiently, Chloe forces her face into a hard glare, wishing for the first time in her life that looks could kill.

The riff off progresses rapidly as each group bounces off the other. The Bellas and DSM inch closer to one another and the tension between them grows as the other groups are eliminated with time. Chloe is relieved when Beca breaks out of her daze to harmonize with her during Low and she almost thinks things are back to normal when Beca perfectly belts out Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats. That time, it’s Chloe’s turn to be enthralled as Beca confidently fills the room with her voice.

However, Chloe’s bubble of hope is tested by the John Mayer category. DSM kicks it off, intentionally dancing and singing right next to the Bellas. Chloe is amused when Amy gives the finger to Pieter as he gets in her personal space. Kommissar writhes side to side, once again showing abs for days as she hits the high tones.

Kommissar takes the lead vocals as she watches the Bellas watch her. She winks at Beca, then immediately throws Chloe a gloating smirk.

That’s it.

Chloe rushes forward to get right into Kommissar’s face. As she belts out some Taylor Swift, she puts as much of her anger behind it as she can, finally letting out some of the emotion that had been frothing inside her. Kommissar examines her intently and Chloe notes with satisfaction that the arrogance normally etched onto her features temporarily makes room for surprise.

_That’s right,_ Chloe thinks as she sings. _I’m not giving up._ _You’re not getting Beca – I mean, Worlds. You’re not getting Worlds._

She’s cut short by Bumper’s insistence that Tina Turner dated John Mayer, which is mildly disturbing. When his group is eliminated, it comes down to just DSM and the Bellas. Chloe moves back to join her team, Beca welcoming her with a small smile that makes her feel as though Beca had gotten her message just as clearly as Kommissar had.

Or, maybe not. As DSM goes literally toe-to-toe with the Bellas, Kommissar’s voice drips honey and she circles her hips; she’s practically grinding on the air. Chloe immediately spots Beca staring unabashedly once again and something in her chest twinges with disappointment. She glances continuously between Beca and DSM, waiting for Beca’s attention to shift back to her, but it never does.

This, and the growing intensity of the riff-off starts to wind Chloe so tightly she feels as though she’s going to snap at any second. Why hasn’t DSM broken yet? Why haven’t the Bellas won? And why does Beca stare at Kommissar like a besotted puppy instead of at her?

Suddenly, it’s all over. Their host had pointed at Emily, who had completely and utterly choked. They had lost in perhaps the most embarrassing way possible.

Chloe stands stock-still, rooted to the floor. She can’t bear to look at Kommissar, knowing how gleeful she likely is. There’s a funny ringing in her ears; the Bellas lost the riff-off, but it feels to Chloe as if she’d lost something much more important. Someone more important. Kommissar had won, had beaten Chloe.

The sound of DSM launching into an obnoxious rendition of Jump has Chloe absolutely livid. Before she knows what she’s doing, she’s flying over to where Emily and Beca had been speaking quietly.

A rational voice in the back of Chloe’s mind reminds her that this is her fault as much as Emily’s. They hadn’t done enough to prepare the new girl for a riff-off and she’d been put on the spot unexpectedly. However, the larger, angrier part of Chloe is screaming at her to tear Emily a new one. So, that’s what she does.

She doesn’t remember the rest of the night very well. She vaguely recalls Beca trying to reign her in, which had only made her more incensed because it reminded her of how Beca had been acting all night. She remembers Jesse stealing Beca away from her, as usual. She remembers finding a bathroom to hide in and cry for fifteen minutes until she’d gotten a text from Stacie about free drinks. She doesn’t remember much after that.

It’s not until the next day, hungover and miserable, that she supposes she should apologize to Emily. She hadn’t been mad at _her_. Not really.


	2. Chapter 2

Beca has a secret.

Chloe knows she’s hiding something from her and from the rest of the Bellas. She really isn’t all that sneaky about it, either. She’s almost never around the Bella house and no one knows where she goes. She gets phone calls at weird times and always leaves the room or even exits the house entirely to answer them so that no one can overhear her.

More than once, Chloe has walked into Beca’s room to see the brunette working diligently at her computer, tongue snared between her teeth in concentration, only for her to slam her laptop shut once she realizes Chloe’s there. At first, she thought Beca was making something for her or for the Bellas as a surprise, but it’s been happening for months, since even before the riff-off. She’s getting worried.

It better not have to do with that German woman.

In addition to her strange behavior, Beca has been riding the Mood Swing playground. She’s been more withdrawn than usual and seems stressed, though Chloe knows she’s got a lighter class schedule than normal this year. Grumpiness is nothing new for Beca, but this is at the next level. At times, it’s like the sarcastic, angry Freshman Beca is standing in their living room and Chloe hates it. At other times, Beca seems energized and happy, confident in everything she does. It’s confusing.

For a while, she wonders if Beca could be pregnant.

She really hopes not, because it would be Jesse’s.

Chloe has tried to reach her with light touches on the back and arms, displaying her typical disregard for personal space. She’s vamped it up slightly, though, not about to forget how Beca had watched Kommissar’s dancing. She always sits next to Beca at every Bellas event. She’s offered Netflix nights, jam sessions, and countless backrubs, some of which Beca agreed to (though not so much the backrubs). She wants to help, but she can only do so much when Beca doesn’t confide in her.

It makes her sad. She thought they’d moved past this.

She’s even tried talking to Amy about it; as Beca’s roommate, surely Amy must have some idea of what’s going on. However, when Chloe cornered her in the bathroom one morning (bathrooms are really the best place to corner people) to ask about it, Amy merely made that weird panic noise she makes when topics such as Bumper come up and mumbled something about Beca and a dingo. When, in a moment of pure desperation, she’d asked if Beca was pregnant, Amy laughed so hard she started choking. Chloe gave up on asking her about Beca after that. She also gave up on the pregnancy theory.

Some of the other Bellas have also noticed Beca’s absence. Emily always asks about her when she isn’t there, which is sweet of her but makes Chloe worry more. Stacie has said multiple times that Beca hasn’t answered some message or other from her. Even CR has commented on the whole situation a few times, reminding Chloe that Beca hasn’t created their set for Worlds yet.

Chloe tries not to worry about it too much. She fails.

Her concern only grows when she gets a call from Jesse one Friday night shortly after Barden’s winter break. It’s nearly 10:30pm, so she’s alone in her bedroom, sitting at her desk and reading when her phone goes off.

She frowns at her phone screen as it rings, confused as to why his name is on it. She has his number and she knows he obviously has hers, but they both acknowledge it’s only for Beca’s sake. They’ve never so much as texted each other, so a call this late at night is exceedingly unprecedented. She swallows hard as she realizes that he must be calling about Beca. Her mind spirals, imagining car accidents and extreme injury and hospital rooms and –

“Hello?” She answers hesitantly, trying to remember if he and Beca had a date that night. Her stomach churns unpleasantly with nerves.

“Chloe?” Jesse asks. Despite her anxiety, she rolls her eyes; who else would it be?

Slightly breathlessly, she says, “Yeah. What’s up?”

“Do you know where Beca is?”

“Uh, no… should I?”

Jesse pauses and she can practically hear his brain whirring on the other end of the phone. Chloe moves from her desk to sit on her bed. His voice sounds different on the phone, younger.

“Well. It’s just. I thought…” he trails off. Chloe can tell he’s having a hard time talking to her, as if it hurts him to admit he doesn’t know where his long-term girlfriend is. He sighs, then continues. “It’s pretty late, and we were supposed to meet up, like, two hours ago. She’s not answering her phone, so I wondered if she forgot and is with you.”

Chloe’s eyebrows draw together as she replies, “No, she’s not with me. I actually have no idea where she is. Sorry,” she thinks to add at the last second.

“It’s fine,” says Jesse hurriedly, clearly not wanting to talk to her for longer than necessary. “I think I maybe know where she is now. Have a good night, Chloe.”

“You, too. But where –” Chloe’s question is cut short when Jesse hangs up on her.

She pulls back from her phone, offended. Would it have killed him to say where he thought Beca was so that she wouldn’t worry? And why had he been in such a rush at the end?

Chloe shakes her head, bewildered. Jesse’s call upsets her; she knows Beca can be forgetful, but standing Jesse up is unlike her…

She starts to run through possible options for Beca’s whereabouts, mentally checking each one off as she goes. Not work, because Beca stopped working at the radio station at the start of the school year and she’d have said if she’d gotten a new job. Not with Jesse, which is somewhat satisfying in a petty way. Not in the Bella house, unless she crept in without Chloe hearing her. Definitely not with her dad, even though their relationship has been improving. Maybe at the library or out to eat by herself, but that’s unlikely this late.

As Chloe ticks off each potential option, her concern grows and her thoughts take a dark turn. What if something bad had happened? But, surely, the hospital would have called by now; she and Jesse are Beca’s emergency contacts. But then, hospitals wouldn’t hear about something like a missing person.

Oh God. Beca’s been kidnapped.

Wait, no. That doesn’t make sense. Chloe doesn’t know anyone who would attack Beca, and Barden has always felt very safe. Besides, Beca doesn’t have any enemies.

Except… an arrogant a cappella group. Maybe DSM had somehow managed to ambush her? Chloe wouldn’t put it past them to sabotage another group, particularly the co-captain of one.

Pondering this possibility, Chloe reclines against her headboard, tapping her hands absentmindedly on her bedspread. It would be hard to take down Beca, who is small but scrappy. Stacie had found that out the hard way when she’d once tried to steal some of her fries; Beca had reacted so violently that Stacie had limped for a week.

Smiling at that memory, Chloe scraps her potential kidnapping theory. Okay. So, that leaves Beca wandering off on her own accord. Who would she go with? A classmate? Not likely. A new friend? Less likely. Plus, why would Jesse not know about it?

A sudden chill washes over Chloe and she stills her restless hands. What if Beca is with someone that neither she nor Jesse know about? Someone that Beca didn’t tell anyone about? Someone like… a date. Almost as soon as the thought occurs to her, Chloe pushes it away. Beca isn’t a cheater. She and Jesse may not always communicate, but she’d never cheat on him. Chloe’s almost certain of it.

And yet… she can’t help but recall how Beca had stared at Kommissar, watching her with such clear attraction and, well, lust. Isn’t that like cheating? Unease spurs Chloe to resume her hand tapping, faster this time. It’s possible. In fact…

A bitter taste fills her mouth as a mental image of Beca and Kommissar together swims to the surface of her mind. Could that be the case? Could Beca be sneaking off to see Kommissar?

Chloe bounds off her bed to pace her bedroom floor, unable to sit still. No. No way. DSM probably isn’t even in the United States anymore now that their tour ended.

Yet, a small, snide voice in the back of her head whispers that it would explain a lot. Like why Beca has been so secretive. Why she hasn’t told Jesse about it, or any of the Bellas. And why Beca had been so entranced by Kommissar at every encounter…

No. Chloe shuts down that train of thought. Beca is not a cheater. She wouldn’t do that to Jesse or to the Bellas. She hasn’t even said she’s into women! It’s not possible.

With a short laugh at her temporary insanity, Chloe runs a hand roughly through her hair. She needs to get some air.

Not bothering to shut the door to her room, Chloe makes for the stairs, bounding down them. Amy, Stacie, Flo, CR, Ashley, and Jessica are camped out in the living room watching Mulan. There is no sign of Lilly, and Emily is at her dorm. She briefly considers joining the Bellas on the couch, but really wants to clear her head first, so she moves past them to open the front door.

“Gah!” comes a surprised shout, and she nearly rams into Beca, who had clearly been on her way inside.

“Bec!” she squeals happily, throwing her arms around her.

“Mmpf,” says Beca, whose face is squashed into Chloe’s neck. After tolerating the hug for about two seconds, Beca squirms free and Chloe takes in her tired appearance. She’s wearing a dark shirt and jeans, so nothing that screams “date” but still looks nice.

_Stop thinking it was a date,_ Chloe chides herself.

“Where were you?” she asks, trying to keep her tone light.

“Oh…” says Beca, her eyes widening. “I was at a meeting for a group project, didn’t mean to go this late.”

“On a Friday?”

“Um… you know me… gotta study.”

It’s a weak explanation, but Chloe doesn’t want to fight about it. Mainly, she’s relieved Beca’s back home with her. “Okay,” she replies easily. “A few of us are watching Mulan, you want to join?”

“Um. No, thanks, I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll just go to bed?” Beca’s voice raises in pitch at the end, making it sound like a question.

Chloe nods, disappointed. “Yeah, that’s cool.”

Beca smiles at her tightly, then moves around her and into the house. As she reaches the stairs, Chloe twists around and calls to her retreating back, “You should text Jesse. He was looking for you.”

Beca freezes, one foot hovering over a stair, and it’s a second before she looks over her shoulder at Chloe. “Ah. Yeah. I guess I forgot about that. Did he come to the house?”

“He called, actually. Just asked if you were here. When I said no, he hung up.”

“That’s all?” Beca asks, searching Chloe’s face.

Chloe nods, wondering why the details matter so much.

Beca smiles again and for a second she looks almost relieved, but her expression clears before Chloe can get a better read on it.

“Great. I’ll go text him, then. Night.”

“Night,” Chloe echoes. She watches as Beca climbs the stairs and enters her own bedroom, closing the door.

Chloe moves out onto the front step, leaning her back against the side of the house. A group project, that’s all it was. Beca hadn’t seemed entirely truthful, but Chloe couldn’t think of why she wouldn’t have been.

With a sigh, she berates herself for even considering that Beca is sneaking off to see Kommissar. Out here on the porch, with Beca safely inside, the concept is laughable. This German woman is making her paranoid. Besides, even if that were the case, she’d have no real reason to be upset about it. Jesse’s dating Beca, not her. It had been a stupid thought.

Shaking her head at herself, Chloe turns to go back into the house. As she moves, a rustling in the bushes next to the front porch makes her pause. She stares into the underbrush, expecting to see a rabbit or some other rodent. Her heart jolts when she catches sight of big, bright eyes staring back at her, only to realize that it’s Lilly hiding in the bush holding what appears to be a can of Cheez-Whiz.

“I’ve filled this with the blood of my enemies,” comes a harsh whisper.

Chloe smiles vaguely before spinning and launching herself back inside, closing the door firmly behind her but not locking it.

Once inside, she can hear Beca’s muffled voice upstairs, covered by the sound of the TV. With a quick glance at the assembled Bellas to ensure no one’s watching, she bites her lip and cautiously moves up the steps to stop outside Beca’s door. She knows she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but also… Beca’s got a secret. She could be talking to someone involved in it.

Crouching slightly and pressing her ear near where the door meets the frame, she clearly hears Beca’s voice as she talks on the phone.

“Look, I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to forget, it’s just been a crazy week.”

Oh. Beca must be talking to Jesse about missing their date. She hears bedsprings groan and knows Beca must have sat down on her bed. Or, more likely, flopped down on it dramatically. Chloe almost turns to leave, not wanting to hear a conversation between them, when –

“Yeah, I can’t believe you called her!” comes a sudden exclamation.

Chloe nearly whacks her head on the doorframe, startled. She glares at it, then leans in closer to make sure she hears every word now that Beca’s talking about her.

“No, I know you didn’t. She doesn’t know, it’s okay.”

Chloe raises her eyebrows, annoyed. So, Jesse gets to know about her little secret? Then Chloe huffs, irritated with herself. It might not even be about that. Beca could be talking about something else completely.

“Because, I… I just can’t, okay?”

Beca’s voice is quieter now, and Chloe has to strain her ears to hear what’s happening. This pause is longer, and when Beca speaks again, the conversation has shifted.

“Mmm,” Beca hums. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

Chloe’s not sure she’s ever heard Beca apologize to Jesse so much in one conversation. She doesn’t like it.

“I love you, too.”

Chloe flinches and she turns away from the door instinctively. It’s time for her to go. This eavesdropping thing isn’t her cup of tea after all. It’s immoral and she didn’t get anything from it except some mild guilt.

After a deep breath to clear her head, she moves quietly down the stairs to join the others in watching Mulan. It’s one of her favorites and she’s hoping it will let her forget the amount of crazy that escaped her all in one night.

“Hey, can I jump in?” she asks the assembled Bellas, who immediately make room for her. She perches herself between Stacie and Flo, who passes her the popcorn. She tries to put Beca out of her head and gets lost in “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.”

Later that night, she debates dyeing her hair blonde, but Stacie talks her out of it. 

* * *

 

 She knows calling Aubrey at the Lodge of Fallen Leaves had been the right decision. The Bellas need something drastic to fix their sound, and a retreat in the middle of the woods is just that.

Besides, if Chloe’s being completely honest with herself, it’s not only the Bellas as a group that are out of sync; it’s her and Beca.

As much as Chloe has been trying over the past months to bring Beca back to her from wherever she goes, she can tell Beca’s not fully with her anymore. She’s not sure exactly when things changed between them, but lately, when she looks at Beca she’s looking at a stranger.

Because of that, Chloe has been holding on more tightly than ever, not only to Beca but also to the Bellas as a whole. She’s the only one who seems to see what everyone else is ignoring; this is their last year together. After graduation and Worlds, they’ll all go separate ways and will never be the Bellas again. There will be no more crazy house dinners, no more exciting and dangerous Bella/Treble parties, no more yelling down the hall for one another, no more group movies. The Bellas, as Chloe knows them, will be gone. And worse, if they fail at the Worlds, there will be no more Bellas, period. Why is she the only one to understand that? Future generations of Barden women won’t bond as Bellas, won’t find their best friends, won’t find the family she has been lucky enough to have.

Beca is the one person Chloe thought would hang on to the Bellas as tightly as she is. She thought Beca would be by her side the whole way, fighting tooth and nail for victory at Worlds, not only for them but also for future Bellas. Even if Beca won’t admit it, Chloe knows that without the Bellas, Beca would still be lonely, angry, and shut off. She thought that Beca would fight for the Bellas to save someone else from that life. But no.

For the first time since they’ve met, Beca has let her down.

The worst part is, she has no idea why. She doesn’t know where Beca’s been sneaking off to. She doesn’t know why Beca stopped caring about the Bellas. She doesn’t know why Beca stopped caring about her. This mysterious something or someone that’s taking up so much of Beca’s time must be pretty special to her. More special than the Bellas. More special than her.

Chloe doesn’t understand. Her chest aches constantly and it has become nearly impossible to hold herself together every day.

They need the retreat. She needs the retreat. She needs Beca to need the retreat. And yet, all Beca can do is complain constantly, as if she has somewhere more important to be. Of course, to her, it probably feels like she does have more important places to be. Or someone more important to be with. It’s not fair.

Chloe kind of hates her for it.

No, she doesn’t. She loves Beca. That’s why her betrayal hurts so much.

That’s why she and Beca need this retreat. Oh, and all the Bellas, too. Obviously.

So, now they’re here. And, okay, maybe the shotgun over Aubrey’s shoulder had been a tad excessive. Yet, Chloe can’t deny that Aubrey’s methods have proven effective in the past.

All in all, it hasn’t been bad. Sure, they’d spent most of the afternoon putting up two tents only to have one get squashed by a tree, but that was a minor setback. They’d managed pretty well with only one tent, Chloe thinks.

However, Beca disagrees.

“The air we’re breathing right now is at least 90% fart,” she says angrily from right next to Chloe.

Next comes Fat Amy’s voice: “That reminds me – I need to see a man about a horse.”

Chloe wrinkles her nose and does her best to tune out whatever Amy says next, because gross. Instead, her mind goes, predictably, back to Beca.

Beca, who is beautiful inside and out, who is grumpy and sarcastic on the surface, but is a complete softie inside. Beca, who makes music that speaks to Chloe’s soul. Beca, who is one of the kindest people she’s ever met, and who cares so, so much but doesn’t let anyone else know about it.

Beca, who has a boyfriend.

Beca, who might have some interest in women, if her interactions with Kommissar are anything to go on.

Beca, who is the most important person in her life.

Beca, who is distancing herself from all of them.

Beca, who is incredibly unhappy to be at the retreat that’s meant to save everything.

“What are we doing?” Beca’s whisper is harsh as Chloe turns to face her. The angle is a little weird since they’re upside down, but Chloe can work with it. It reminds her of a movie she saw once.

“We’re bonding,” Chloe responds softly. “You seem so tense. Do you need a backrub?” She reaches out a gentle hand to push chocolate strands of hair away from a forehead, only for Beca to jerk away. She tries not to let that bother her; it’s become the norm lately.

She wonders if Beca would have pulled away from Kommissar.

“Several body parts are rubbing my back right now, thank you,” Beca replies bitingly.

If Chloe’s going to use this retreat to bring Beca back to her, she knows she needs to act quickly. She desperately misses her best friend. Her Beca. She needs to do something drastic to break through to her, like barging into her shower again.

Unfortunately, plumbing is in limited supply, as Aubrey is refusing to let them use the cabins.

Okay. So. A different shock tactic. Chloe can only think of one, and it scares her. With any luck, it will scare Beca, too.

“You know Beca,” she starts, “we’re very close, but I think this retreat really is gonna let us discover _everything_ about each other.”

A flicker of alarm crosses Beca’s face. “Is that right?” she asks.

Only then does it occur to Chloe that what she’s about to say might get Beca to open up to her about her own sexuality. It’s been pretty clear to her for a while that Beca is attracted to women, or at least, to one specific woman. Now, Beca needs to figure that out for herself. Maybe a certain admission will help her to do just that.

Chloe nods, and fighting her sudden nervousness, whispers, “You know, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t do enough experimenting in college.”

It’s true; she’s wishes she could have had more experiences with women (or one specifically). However, she’d never intended to tell Beca about herself like this, though all the Bellas know that she doesn’t really care whether she dates a guy or a girl. It’s scary. She feels completely exposed, but if it gets Beca to confide in her again, it’ll be worth it.

And if Beca replies with something similar, well, that’s a nice bonus.

 “You’re so weird,” says Beca, and Chloe’s heart thuds painfully.

“Thanks,” she fires back automatically, grateful that her voice doesn’t betray her.

“I want to go home,” Beca says suddenly, changing the subject. There’s a weird look on her face, but before Chloe can analyze it fully, she’s turning until Chloe’s face is filled with her hair.

Ouch. Chloe slowly turns to lie on her back, her mind spinning.

She should have known better. As close as Beca feels to the Bellas, she’s not about to admit something huge about herself in a tent crowded with them. It had been a stupid thought; even if it had just been the two of them, Chloe’s not sure Beca would tell her something like that anymore. If there’s anything to tell, that is. Even if Beca’s response is a defense mechanism, she has no idea what it means. Is that an ‘I’m totally gay but not ready to tell anyone,’ or is that an ‘Ew, gay,’ situation?

Her thoughts are interrupted when Amy calls for some help with a sticky situation. She sings the first song that comes to mind.

_I'm all out of faith_ __  
This is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed  
Lying naked on the floor  
Illusion never changed  
Into something real  
Wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn

By the time Amy gets back to the tent, Chloe has tears in her eyes.

She’d exposed herself to Beca, hoping her best friend would reappear, only to be shut down. Beca had rejected her. Disappointment rises in her throat, threatening to choke her, so she closes her eyes and forces herself to hold it together until sleep comes.

* * *

The fight with Beca had been bad. Like, really bad. Chloe can’t remember the last time she’d been so angry, but then, Beca heightens her every emotion.

Watching Beca walk away had been excruciating; even though she knows she’d have come back to the Bellas eventually, because she always does, a part of Chloe had been scared that Beca was done for good this time. She’d never seen Beca so stressed and knowing that she’d contributed to that stress was painful.

That’s when the bear trap had swooped in to save the day.

And now, surrounded by the Bellas and sitting around a campfire, Chloe feels more content than she thought possible this time yesterday. She is going to graduate. All the Bellas have planned for their respective futures. They are going to win Worlds. And Beca isn’t seeing that German woman in secret. Chloe can deal with a hidden internship; in fact, she’s incredibly proud of Beca for scoring such a great gig. What Chloe can’t deal with is Kommissar. So really, everything has worked out much better than it could have.

While she still wishes that Beca could have supported her more this year, she understands why Beca had been so distant. It must have been incredibly stressful keeping something as big as this internship hidden. Now, though, Chloe knows Beca will try harder. She finally feels like her best friend is on her side again.

Beca looks beautiful tonight. The firelight caresses her face, bringing her features into soft focus. Her expression is open, vulnerable, and more relaxed than it has been in months. This is the real Beca. She looks like an angel, and Chloe wishes she could trap the image in her mind forever.

Inspired by Beca’s uncharacteristic sentimentality, Chloe sings Beca’s audition song from almost four years ago. That song has been on her mind quite a bit lately. Each of the Bellas picks it up, softly and slowly, and they sound outstanding as a group. Despite that, Chloe only has eyes for Beca, who meets her gaze steadily.

When the song concludes, Beca smiles shyly at her with so much trust and happiness that her heart soars.

In that instant, Chloe knows she’s royally screwed.

She’s head over heels for Beca, and if she’s honest with herself, always has been. She thought she’d moved on when Jesse came into the picture, but she knows now that’s not true. It’s Beca. It’s always been Beca.

She really hates Kommissar.

Their moment is shattered completely when Amy’s hoisted into the air by yet another bear trap.

“Shake it off, Amy,” Beca says bracingly as she moves to help.

As Chloe also starts to rise, a light pressure lands on her arm and she looks down to see Aubrey’s hand resting there.

“Stay,” Aubrey whispers as the other Bellas rush to free Amy.

Chloe raises an eyebrow in question but waits to say anything until they’re alone. Lilly is the last to leave as she walks away in the complete opposite direction of Amy and the other Bellas, disappearing into the woods.

Twisting in her chair to face Aubrey fully, Chloe asks softly, “What’s going on?”

Glancing around to make sure they’re alone, Aubrey responds tersely, “I saw that.”

“Saw… what?” Chloe is completely at a loss.

“I saw your toner. For Beca,” comes Aubrey’s hushed reply. “And what’s this about a ‘Bhloe?’”

There’s a tense pause. Across the campsite, CR reaches to hand Amy a s’more through the netting of the bear trap.

Chloe feels her face warming even as she scoffs. “I can’t believe you still say toner.” She decides it’s best to ignore ‘Bhloe’ for now.

“Don’t change the subject,” Aubrey warns. “I thought you gave up on that gremlin when she got with Jesse?”

The Bellas, minus Chloe, Aubrey, and Lilly, are now hovering under Amy, clearly hoping to catch her if the net breaks.

“ _Aubrey_ ,” Chloe hisses over the sound of Amy referring to them all as useless sluts. “Don’t call her that. She’s changed.”

“Maybe, but her romantic status hasn’t. You need to be careful.”

Stacie has started poking at Amy with a large stick.

Chloe’s expression falls with her mood. “Look,” she says, “I know it’s not ideal. But I can’t help it. And sometimes, I wonder if she feels the same.”

Aubrey sighs and clenches her jaw. She looks over at Beca, who is reluctantly allowing Flo to climb on her shoulders while Flo says something about dysentery.

“I won’t lie,” Aubrey eventually continues, “stranger things have happened.” At this, her gaze wanders briefly to Stacie for some reason, then snaps back to stare at Chloe. “But until she gets her head out of her ass, it’s not going to be fun for you.”

Chloe opens her mouth to respond, but their conversation comes to an abrupt halt as Amy crashes down on the waiting Bellas below, screaming as she falls. Looking up, Chloe sees Lilly once again hanging upside down, now armed with what appears to be a hacksaw.

“Worst. Vacation. Ever,” Amy grumbles from on top of a groaning pile of Bellas.


	3. Chapter 3

DSM clearly went all-out for Worlds. They put on one of the most impressive a cappella performances Chloe has ever seen. Their choreography is perfectly timed, the music artfully arranged, and their voices in complete harmony. It is utterly astounding.

Chloe hates every minute of it.

She feels like she’s about five seconds away from imitating Aubrey and showing everyone in the vicinity what she’d eaten for dinner, but she knows her nerves must be nothing to what Beca’s probably feeling. If they could really pull this off, getting nearly forty people on stage…

It doesn’t help that Chloe had watched Beca watching Kommissar during the entire DSM performance. It had irritated her, but her own nerves had kept her mind occupied enough that she didn’t feel the need to smack Beca upside the head.

However, that may change shortly. DSM moves off stage to the sound of thousands of fans chanting for them and heads directly toward the Bellas. Kommissar’s gaze finds Beca and she bites her lip in anticipation.

Chloe’s already on her way to being pissed off.

Wiping nonexistent sweat from her neck as she steps up to them, Kommissar purrs in her deep voice, “Hear that? They chant for us.” Unsurprisingly, she is only speaking to Beca.

Chloe isn’t sure how it happens, but suddenly Kommissar is much too close. She reaches a hand toward Beca’s face, causing her flinch back a little. Chloe’s eyes widen in shock; is this chick for real?

“Now, don’t cry too hard when you lose, alright? Makes eyes puffy,” she emphasizes her point by stroking her thumb across Beca’s cheek.

Chloe can’t quite believe Beca is really letting this happen; normally, Beca would have shoved away anyone that tried to touch her. Chloe glares at Kommissar with as much hatred as she can. How dare this woman touch her Beca? Surely, Beca’s going to throw her hand off at any moment.

But Beca only whispers, “Your hands are so soft.”

Chloe’s glare breaks when she looks over at Beca, completely exasperated.

Kommissar replies haughtily, “I’m sorry, I don’t speak loser, what did you say?”

That’s obnoxious. Chloe opens her mouth to give Kommissar a piece of her mind, only to be startled when Pieter inserts, “She actually speaks 8 languages, but loser is not one of them.” She’d forgotten he was even there, such is her focus on Kommissar.

“Everything must come to an end, even the Bellas,” says Kommissar imperiously without giving them a chance to fight back. At that, a surge of rage sweeps through Chloe, though she knows there’s no way Beca will allow Kommissar to speak to them like that.

Sure enough, as DSM files away, Beca leaps forward to yell after them, “Ha! Your sweat smells like cinnamon!”

Jesus Christ. Never mind.

Frustration fills Beca’s features as she realizes what she’s shouted. “Damn it!”

Chloe sighs and looks at her feet. This is not helping.

“Okay, shake it off, guys, it’s fine.” Beca’s voice, strong and steady, surprises her and she looks up. “I know that was… well, whatever. It’s fine. But listen. We’ve got this. We are so going to win. They won’t know what hit them. So, let’s go out and just – “

“Crush it!” Amy shouts.

“Yeah, that!” Beca yells back excitedly, waving her hands in front of her. “We’re gonna win Worlds!”

Lost in fiery navy eyes, Chloe dimly registers the huge smile spreading over her own face. “We got this, Bellas!” she cries out to the sound of cheers.

She trusts Beca completely. Obviously they’ll win. It’s not even a question.

* * *

They win.

When Beca launches herself into Chloe’s arms, almost causing them both to fall, Chloe feels like she could do anything. As long as Beca’s with her, everything will be okay.

* * *

The Post-Worlds party is already turning out to be an epic one. It’s a good thing it’s taking place outside behind the performance stage; Chloe’s not sure any indoor venue would hold this many people. An impromptu dance area is at the center of the field, with tables set up on the side for food and drinks. People mill around, talking and socializing, while others sit on patches of grass or on the larger rocks strewing the lawn.

As Chloe meanders through the party, she looks around to survey the barely controlled chaos that surrounds her. It seems as if every group in the competition is there, with each having brought several guests. Across the lawn, the Canadian group mingles with the Brazilians. The French group and the Indian group are bonding over the food table. The Spanish group is encouraging a round of body shots, grabbing anyone in close proximity, so she spins away from them before she can get roped in. The a cappella announcers, John and Gail, are not so lucky; Chloe watches as one member of the group drags them into participating.

As she makes her way back to the drink table for her third drink, Chloe feels herself exhale fully for what seems like the first time since Muffgate. They’d done it. They’d actually won. She likes to think that she never doubted them, but if she’s being honest with herself, she’d been terrified of the alternative. Even now, thinking about what would have happened if they’d lost… well. That doesn’t matter now. Now, she only wants to bask in their victory.

She reaches for one of the many wine coolers placed on the table with a satisfied sigh. Everything has finally fallen into place. The Bellas won Worlds and will be reinstated for Emily to carry on the group. Chloe is going to graduate and find a job doing… something. She had been thinking teaching, but she’d forgotten about her love of animals. So. There’s that to consider now.

Chloe turns, wine cooler in hand, as she scopes the overly crowded party for her fellow Bellas.

After a moment, she spots CR, Flo, Stacie, and an extremely reluctant-looking Aubrey heading toward the Spanish group – plus John and Gail – for body shots. She watches as Aubrey hesitates, only for Stacie to grab her hand and drag her along.

Across from then, she sees Ashley and Jessica (which one is which again?) standing off to the side, sipping beers and observing the mass of a cappella nerds that is the entire party.

Craning her neck, she eventually finds Emily across the field, one hand holding onto one of Benji’s and the other covering her eyes to avoid seeing her mom’s dancing; Katherine Junk appears to be revisiting her synchronized booty shake in the center of the dance area to much applause.

“Get it, Mrs. Junk!” Amy yells from behind the Canadian group, causing the portion of Emily’s face that Chloe can see to turn bright red.

Lilly is, of course, nowhere to be found.

So that leaves…

“Hey, Chlo,” Beca’s voice comes from behind her.

A joyful smile washing over her face, Chloe turns to look into unfocused blue eyes.

“Hey, Becs. How’re you doing?”

Beca smiles back happily and reaches out to put a hand heavily onto Chloe’s shoulder. “I’m so good. So, so good. We won, dude!”

Chloe can’t stop the laughter that escapes her. “Yes, we did! Uh, exactly how much have you had to drink?”

Furrowing her brow, Beca lifts the hand she’d placed on Chloe’s shoulder and starts counting on her fingers. She gets to five, then trails off looking confused.

“Umm…” she starts. “Like… three? Or maybe… six?”

Chloe cringes; they all know Beca’s a total lightweight, so six is quite a lot for her.

“Yeah, Bec, let’s maybe stop for now, okay?”

Pouting, Beca whines back, “But I’m thirsty.”

“Let’s get you some water, then,” Chloe says firmly as she reaches to grab Beca by the shoulders, holding her steady; she’d started to sway in place.

She steers Beca back to the drinks in search of water, just in time to see DSM arrive together, slightly late to the event. They were probably too busy nursing their egos following their second-place loss to be on time.

Chloe unintentionally makes eye contact with Kommissar and, even though she knows she shouldn’t, she allows a gloating smile to spread across her face. Kommissar smirks back, not looking at all put out by their loss. In fact, she appears almost predatory as her gaze shifts to Beca.

Chloe turns away from DSM, not liking the expression on Kommissar’s face but deciding to ignore it. Nothing can burst her happy bubble.

Except – “Where’s Jesse?” Beca slurs from within Chloe’s grasp.

“I don’t know,” Chloe says shortly as they reach the drink table.

“Hmm. That’s okay,” Beca sighs. “I didn’t even know he was going to be here.”

Chloe doesn’t reply as she grabs a water bottle for Beca and untwists the top before handing it to her. Beca takes a huge gulp, some of it dribbling down her chin. Chloe wants to wipe it away for her, but Beca clumsily swipes the back of her own hand under her mouth before Chloe can do something stupid.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe spots DSM moving as a pack toward them, likely headed for the drinks. She has no desire to see them now; anything could come out of a six-drinks-in-Beca.

Grabbing Beca’s arm, Chloe quickly insists, “Let’s go dance!”

It’s a sign of how far gone Beca is that she merely nods her assent and moves to follow Chloe without any of her usual reluctance. Chloe rushes them to the edge of the dance area as quickly as she can, weaving around the clusters of a cappella performers. She grabs both of Beca’s hands in her own and tries to get Beca to dance with her. Beca has already managed to lose the water bottle.

She does her best to lead Beca into a sort of jumping waltz, spinning around and trying to stay on beat, but Beca is either too drunk or not drunk enough for her to do anything but jerk around awkwardly and try not to fall over. Glancing over Beca’s shoulder, Chloe watches Kommissar slam back four shots in rapid succession at the drink table and walk away like it’s nothing. That woman is seriously frightening.

Chloe’s attention is pulled back to Beca when she yells in her ear to be heard over the music, “Chlo, you suck at dancing!”

“What?” Chloe shrieks back, mildly offended. “It’s not me! If you’d just relax and stop fooling around…”

The wicked grin that Beca shoots her sends a chill down her spine.

She knows Beca can dance. After all, they’ve had four years of dance and cardio training for the Bellas together. However, it’s one thing to move to choreographed steps, but it’s entirely different to dance freely to music. While they’ve attended many Bella/Treble parties, Beca has never really allowed herself to cut loose.

So Chloe is shocked when Beca throws her arms around her neck, pulling their bodies close. Chloe hands automatically rise to rest on Beca’s hips. Beca looks into her eyes, smirks, and starts to move. Her slim hips slowly rock side to side, perfectly matching the beat of the music. As her hips tilt, Beca’s upper body moves in sync, drawing Chloe’s eyes down. Chloe’s not quite sure how it happens, but her arms are suddenly wrapped around Beca and she’s pulling her closer until they’re flush against one another.

Beca’s hips lead their dance with a constant rhythm, spurring Chloe to match her every movement. Chloe notices how well their bodies fit together, the over-excitable part of her brain screaming that they’re made for one another. Beca’s eyes slide closed and her eyebrows draw together in concentration. At this proximity, Chloe can see every beautiful detail of her face and she’s staring, trying to commit this moment to memory.

A hand slips into her hair and Chloe has to stop herself from groaning at the sensation. Beca is practically rolling her body against Chloe’s, their hips coming together perfectly. Chloe’s breath catches when Beca’s chest brushes against hers and her body burns at the contact. Her fingers twitch on Beca’s lower back, begging Beca to move even closer.

Without warning, Beca slips a thigh between her legs. She’s suddenly on fire, fighting against a moan trying to escape.

She wants more. She wants to lower herself onto that thigh. She wants to press her body impossibly closer to Beca’s. She wants to taste Beca’s lips. She wants to spin Beca around, grind her front into Beca’s ass, and kiss down her neck. She wants everything. She wants –

As quickly as it had appeared, Beca’s leg vanishes from between hers and she’s stumbling back from Chloe until their bodies are separated by a safe distance. Chloe takes in the sight of Beca’s flushed cheeks, darkened eyes, and heaving chest. Something low in her stomach clenches tightly as she realizes she must look the same way.

But something’s wrong. Beca looks scared, her eyes darting around as if to make sure no one saw them. Her hands are clenched into fists at her side.

Chloe takes a moment to gather herself, then asks cautiously, “Beca?”

“I’m good, just, I got really hot. Can we please sit?”

Chloe has to bite her lip to refrain from her immediate answer to the ‘hot’ part of that, so she nods and allows Beca to lead her away from the dance area and back to a more open part of the field to take a breather. She also desperately needs to cool off.

“Is this better?” she asks once they’ve moved far enough away. Her lust is quickly fading to nervousness as she thinks about what they were just doing. She really hopes Beca’s not freaking out.

Beca nods, looking more like herself away from the crowd on the dance floor. “Yeah,” she replies, “too many people I guess.”

Relief fills Chloe at the normalcy in Beca’s tone. She’d been worried that something she’d done had made Beca want to stop dancing with her, but now Beca’s looking at her like she always does, if still slightly flushed.

Wanting to double check that everything is truly okay, Chloe states tentatively, “So, you can dance.”

Beca grins back, looking immensely pleased with herself. “Yeah, I got those mad skills.”

She does some sort of weird arm movement that very well might be an actual gang sign, but it makes them both laugh and any residual tension dissipates.

“Whatever, weirdo…” Chloe responds with an affectionate smile, happy that they’re still in a good place. “Let’s finish cooling you off.”

She’s about to go to the drink stand to get Beca another water when she spots Kommissar, this time alone and moving in their direction, her eyes searing into Beca.

“Heads up,” Chloe mutters. “German woman incoming. Should we move?” She wants to make sure Beca knows what’s going on before Kommissar arrives.

“It’s whatever,” Beca replies easily. Chloe can tell she’s still fairly tipsy, though not as bad as she had been before the dancing and water.

Chloe looks to Kommissar again to see she’s drawing steadily closer. She narrows her eyes and tries her best to appear menacing even as her stomach rolls with nerves. Why can’t this woman leave Beca alone? Surely the flirting had only been a tactic; she doesn’t really _like_ Beca. Right?

Chloe reaches out to rest a hand on the small of Beca’s back protectively as Kommissar comes up to them.

Kommissar opens her mouth to say something but Chloe speaks over her.

“Whatever you’re going to say, it doesn’t matter. We won, fair and square!”

Beca gives a sharp nod beside her, only to stumble from moving her head; Chloe adds gentle pressure to her back to keep her upright.

Kommissar barely looks phased as her eyes pass through Chloe to land directly on Beca.

“Feisty Mouse,” she says, “I was only coming to tell you how adorable you looked both on stage and at this party. Your angry friend doesn’t seem to like hearing that, however.”

Chloe’s lips thin at the emphasis Kommissar placed on the word ‘friend.’ She can tell the German is barely even tipsy after her four shots; if anything, she’s only more relaxed and confident.

“Yeah, well,” Beca tries valiantly, her eyes darting around, “you looked… more than adorable. Like, you are the… embodiment of perfection.”

Her gaze flicks briefly to Kommissar’s chest before frantically shooting back up to her face. Chloe is unpleasantly reminded of an encounter in the shower years ago.

“Beca, let’s just –” she pleads, only to be stopped when Kommissar raises a hand to cut her off.

“You know, I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for all of the compliments you’ve given me,” Kommissar says suggestively, and Chloe watches as her eyes trail slowly down and back up Beca’s frame. “Now that we’re no longer enemies… let’s become friends. Want to become… acquainted?”

Glancing to Beca, Chloe sees that she’s completely aghast. She has to admit, the stunned expression on her face is endearing, even if she absolutely hates the reason it’s there.

“So, ask your friend to leave, and we can go somewhere a little… quieter,” Kommissar’s innuendo is far from subtle, and Chloe feels a shiver run down Beca’s spine from where her hand is still placed on her back.

Something hot and unpleasant trickles into Chloe’s stomach at the thought that Beca’s even considering the offer; she’s drunk and can’t make these choices. And who knows where all of Kommissar has been. And she’s _her_ Beca, damn it.

Chloe opens her mouth furiously to tell Kommissar to shove her offer up her own ass and leave, when Beca manages to squeak out uncertainly, “Umm… I’m actually dating… that guy over there.”

She gestures vaguely to the far side of the party, where Chloe can just barely spot Jesse’s head turning all directions, likely looking for Beca. It’s the only time she can ever recall being happy to see him.

For the first time, Kommissar’s confident mask slips and surprise flashes over her face as she glances, not in the direction Beca’s pointing, but at Chloe.

However, she recovers quickly, her expression becoming calculating. Chloe does not like that look at all. Beca’s gesture toward Jesse had pulled her away from Chloe so she’s no longer touching her back.

In their brief moment of separation, Chloe watches, as if in slow motion, as Kommissar’s eyes drop to linger on Beca’s lips.

“Well,” she breathes out huskily, “maybe this will convince you otherwise.”

She extends a hand, reaching for Beca’s cheek as she leans in. Beca, drunk and dazed, reacts automatically, copying the movement and leaning in as well.

Something inside Chloe finally snaps.

“Hey!” she cries, swatting away Kommissar’s hand and throwing herself between them so that Beca is half hidden behind her.

“That is not okay! She just said she’s seeing someone! She’s drunk and you know it!” Kommissar blinks as Chloe continues to tear into her. “How dare you keep talking to her like that? You’ve been flirting with her for months and I’m sick of it. Stay away from my Beca, you pretzel hag!”

A ringing silence follows Chloe’s outburst. She’s breathing hard as if she’d just finished a Bellas workout. Kommissar is staring at her, for once rendered speechless. And Beca is openly gaping at Chloe as if she’d grown an arm out of her forehead.

“Um. Did you just say… ‘ _my_ Beca’?” comes Beca’s timid voice after several beats of silence.

“What? No, I…” Chloe trails off as she frantically casts her mind back. Had she said that? She’d been so angry at the almost-kiss that she’d kind of blacked out there. Oh. Wait. Oh shit. She had said that.

“Oh! Ah. Bec, I’m so sorry, I –” she’s completely floundering, her arms waving aimlessly and her face warming.

Beca is still staring at her dumbfoundedly. Kommissar looks strangely satisfied.

Then – “Yeah, I’m hers!” Beca spins on the spot to point directly at Kommissar. “You stay away from my Chloe, too, you… stunning… model!”

The earth shifts under Chloe as she takes in Beca’s words. Her chest fills with emotion as she gazes at her, loving how Beca had claimed her as clearly as she’d claimed Beca. She wants to lunge forward, throw her arms around Beca, and kiss her squarely on the lips. In that moment, she forgets that Jesse exists. She forgets that Beca’s drunk. And she forgets that Kommissar is standing right there.

That is, until the German speaks, her voice filled with amusement. “Oh, _both_ of you are very feisty! I see. Perhaps I will find your tall, flirty teammate?”

Realizing she means Stacie, Chloe cranes her neck to see if she can spot their leggy friend; hopefully, she and Beca can get to her first to warn her. However, all three of them see Stacie at the same time, standing slightly on the outskirts of the party area, speaking closely with Aubrey.

“Hmm,” Kommissar narrows her eyes at the distant pair, “Apparently not.”

“I guess no one’s interested,” Chloe says with some edge in her voice, stepping on Beca’s foot to prevent her from shouting out whatever weird thing had shot into her mind that time.

“That’s okay,” Kommissar shrugs, looking supremely unconcerned. “More time for drinks. Auf Wiedersehen, Feisty Mouse and… Jelly Tiger.” With that, she turns to head back into the throng of intoxicated party-goers.

Chloe blinks at her retreating back, baffled at what she assumes is Kommissar’s new nickname for her. She’s broken from her thoughts by Beca’s hand on her arm.

“Chlo…” Beca’s suddenly very sober and is looking awkwardly at the ground. Chloe wonders if she’s regretting their show of possession.

“Yeah?” she prompts.

“Um… It’s just… I should tell you. Something. It’s important.”

Beca’s speech is choppy and her fingers tap a rhythm on her thigh; Chloe frowns, concerned.

“Okay? I’m listening.”

Beca takes a deep breath, looks at the sky, and then back down at the ground between them. A few moments pass, and Chloe wonders if Beca’s going to say anything after all.

“So. I know you’re, like, pan, or whatever. Um. Pansexual,” Beca starts. Chloe nods supportively, not at all offended by Beca’s phrasing; it’s just how Beca speaks when she’s nervous. She thinks she knows where this is going.

“Well… um. I think – you know, ‘cuz of Kommissar, and yeah – I think I might be… bi. Or whatever.”

Even though she was half-expecting it, Chloe’s stomach flutters with surprised happiness. She’s so wrapped up in her own excitement and what this might mean for them – again, she’s forgetting Jesse – that it doesn’t immediately occur to her that Beca is probably expecting her to say something back until Beca’s suddenly reeling and closing down.

“Dude, is that, like, okay? I know it’s weird, and it’s new, and you know what? Forget it, let’s not tell anyone, just –”

“Beca,” Chloe interrupts sharply, reaching to grab Beca’s hands in both her own. “Of course it’s okay. It’s awesome!” Beca’s eyes widen in alarm at the enthusiasm, and Chloe backtracks quickly.

“I mean, I’m happy that you’re discovering yourself. It’s great that you’re learning stuff like that. Thank you for telling me.”

Beca’s smiling at her now, just a small smile that speaks volumes.

“And you know what?” Chloe continues. “We don’t have to tell anyone else yet, not until you’re ready. It doesn’t change anything, though, okay? You’re still you, but now you’re even more you.”

Beca nods and her expression opens, sending warmth into Chloe. She hasn’t pulled her hands away yet. In the middle of the crowded party, they are the only two in existence.

“It doesn’t change how you see me?” she asks in a small voice.

“No,” Chloe shakes her head, “Nothing could change how I feel about you. I promise.”

Beca’s expression flickers at that, shifting to something that Chloe can’t read for a moment. Almost instantly, though, Beca’s smile is back.

“Thanks, Chlo,” she grins crookedly.

Chloe draws her into a firm hug, squeezing her own eyes shut. Beca clings to her just as tightly and they stand like that for several seconds. Chloe’s not sure if it’s the emotion of the moment, the adrenaline of the Worlds win, or simply the stress and finality of their senior year that spurs Beca to display affection like this in public, but she’s definitely not going to complain.

“Becaw!”

Chloe’s eyes pop open. Of course. She sighs as Beca pulls away from her to face her boyfriend.

He immediately swoops in for a hug of his own, which Beca returns with a loud laugh, enveloped in the American flag Jesse still has draped over his shoulders.

“Congratulations!” Jesse enthuses loudly. “We are the kings of the world!” he yells over the crowd, spreading his arms and proudly displaying the flag.

Beca laughs again, rolling her eyes, and Chloe can clearly see her affection for Jesse’s boyish antics.

“You’re a dork,” she teases, calling out, “I don’t know him!”

He smiles back, saying sweetly, “Yeah, but I’m your dork, just like you’re my grumpy midget.”

Chloe isn’t prepared for the rush of disgust that comes from first hearing him say that and then watching him lean in to kiss Beca.

She has to look away, jaw clenched with anger. Where was Jesse while his girlfriend was being seduced by a tall German? What right did he have to call her _his_?

Wait. Oh yeah. They’re dating.

Because Chloe’s looking away, stewing in jealousy, she completely misses the awkward, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly guilty glance Beca throws her way as soon as the kiss breaks.

Chloe only looks back when she hears Beca’s disbelieving voice, “You did not just call me a midget!”

“I definitely did, but in a cute way,” comes Jesse’s response.

Chloe can’t take any more.

She clears her throat, getting Beca’s attention immediately. Jesse finally looks at her for the first time since he arrived, throwing her a small smile and a wave. She forces a smile back, sure it makes her look like some sort of constipated sociopath.

“I’m gonna grab another drink. I’ll see you guys around?” she says.

Beca’s happy expression falls a little at that, but Jesse’s already nodding.

“Have fun, Chloe,” he says, then immediately turns to Beca, reaching for her arm. “You wanna dance?”

“Uh, sure,” Beca says, still looking at Chloe, before waving and smiling at her. “Make good choices!”

Despite her annoyance, Chloe’s mouth quirks upward at the throwback to Beca’s initiation night. Beca grins at her playfully even as she allows Jesse to lead her away to the dancing area.

Unwilling to watch them walk away, Chloe turns and heads over to the drink table, hoping there’s something strong left. She settles for a rum and coke, then turns to find a rock to sit on.

She’s scanning for an open spot when a waving arm catches her attention. To her surprise, Kommissar is sitting alone nearby and is gesturing for her to join her. Chloe looks around; none of the Bellas are watching. After a brief hesitation, Chloe impulsively decides to go sit next to her. Maybe Kommissar’s planning on propositioning her now.

“I don’t bite,” Kommissar says, beer in hand, as Chloe perches next to her on the rock. “Not unless you ask me to.”

Chloe’s cheeks warm slightly at the suggestion and she sips her drink to hide her face. She suddenly can’t blame Beca for turning into a total mess; it’s an intimidating experience to be on the receiving end of Kommissar’s flirtations.

“Why do you say things like that to people?” she blurts out before she can stop herself.

“Like what?”

Chloe rolls her eyes, a habit she’s picked up from Beca. “You know what.”

Kommissar smirks and examines Chloe appraisingly. This time, Chloe forces herself to stare back confidently.

“It scares people,” Kommissar finally responds, “and I like seeing them squirm.” She leans in to whisper conspiratorially, “But I promise, Jelly, that I always mean every word.”

Kommissar lets that sink in and takes a large swig of her beer. She wrinkles her nose at the taste, muttering, “Damn Danish. They even mess up beer.”

Chloe looks down at her rum and coke, swirling it slightly in her hands, her stomach uneasy.

“So…” she says to her drink, her throat tight, “you meant to flirt with Beca. You meant what you said.”

“Yes, Feisty Mouse was most amusing,” Kommissar purrs. “And very pretty,” she adds. “We would have had fun together.”

Chloe swallows, hard. Her hands are becoming clammy around her drink and she knows it’s not from the condensation on the glass.

“It would have been easy for you, you know.” Chloe’s surprised at herself; she hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

Kommissar glances at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly, so she elaborates, eyes still fixed on her drink.

“She liked you, too,” she whispers.

Kommissar chuckles at that, though not harshly, merely amused.

“Yes,” she agrees, “I could tell.”

Chloe takes a deep breath through her nose. Talking about Beca like this makes her chest ache.

“But,” adds Kommissar, “it would not have been as easy as you believe. She’s very loyal to the Bellas, and to you. And, for some reason, to her… boyfriend.”

Chloe looks up to seek out Beca and Jesse in the crowd of dancers. She feels Kommissar’s eyes on her, so she continues to watch them rather than face her. Jesse twirls Beca, who’s laughing harder than Chloe has seen her laugh for a long time, her cheeks flushed.

Kommissar follows Chloe’s gaze, taking in the sight of Beca and Jesse together.

“Don’t worry. That won’t last.”

Chloe’s entire upper body twists to stare at Kommissar, unsure she’d heard her correctly.

“What?”

Kommissar gives her a genuine smile as she continues, “She only has eyes for you. Trust me. And even a blind rhinoceros could see how you look at her.”

“S-seriously?” Chloe manages to choke out. A blind rhinoceros?

Kommissar nods as she says, “I thought you two were together, until she mentioned the boy today. She really is very taken with you.”

There’s silence between them as Chloe blinks stupidly at Kommissar.

She dimly registers that Aubrey and Stacie have spotted her next to Kommissar and are not-so-secretly watching them. Amy’s overly loud voice rings over the party as she yells, “Move, you bitches! I’m gonna crowd surf!”

Ignoring the surrounding chaos, Chloe finds her voice enough to squeak, “How? Why…?”

Kommissar stops her with a casual wave of a hand.

“I only guessed after our first meeting, but then I thought I knew for sure at the strange man’s basement party. You looked so angry with me while I danced for her, it was amusing,” she laughs gently before adding, “And the way you two were just dancing… well. Can you blame me?”

Chloe wrinkled her nose, embarrassed. “You saw that, huh?”

Kommissar’s smile only widens.

Chloe is torn; she wants to be annoyed but can’t help the fuzzy feeling washing over her at the realization that even a complete stranger can see the connection she and Beca share. Knowing that Kommissar thought they’d been, well, _a_ _couple_ , this whole time is pretty amazing.

Then, she frowns.

“Wait, so you thought we were dating, but you still flirted with her like that in front of me?”

With a shrug, Kommissar replies, “Like I said, it’s fun. And I was interested.”

Chloe’s jaw dropped. “What?! That’s… that’s… why didn’t you flirt with me, then?”

Kommissar laughs fully, the first real laugh Chloe has heard from her.

“Oh, you really are fun, Jelly Tiger! You are very pretty, too, but I prefer brunettes.”

“Okay, you know what –”

Again, Kommissar speaks over her, standing from the rock to leave. “This has been very entertaining, but I’m going to join my group. And, I imagine, you don’t want any Bellas getting the wrong idea about us, yes?”

Chloe nods; they have been talking for too long to appear innocuous, and Aubrey and Stacie have been watching for a while.

Kommissar turns to walk away, only to stop and look back at Chloe for a moment.

“Congratulations, by the way,” she says. “I knew you’d won the second all the old Bellas joined you. The judges in this country are like the beer here – weak and watery. Until next time, Jelly.”

With that, she leaves Chloe on the rock, the ice melted in her rum and coke.

She barely has time to process what had happened – did Kommissar really say that Beca likes her, too? – before Aubrey and Stacie are swooping down on her.

“What did she want?” Aubrey asks sharply, skipping preamble.

“Ooh, did she ask you to sleep with her?” Stacie bobs her head eagerly, earning an elbow in the side from Aubrey.

“No…” says Chloe, not really focusing on them, “she wanted to congratulate me on the win.”

“That’s all?” Aubrey raises her eyebrows skeptically. “Long conversation.”

“Long legs,” Stacie notes unhelpfully.

She and Aubrey start to bicker and Chloe tunes them out, thinking instead about a possible future with Beca. Now that Beca’s figured out her sexuality… and even Kommissar said she and Jesse won’t last… but still.

Beca is dating Jesse for now. Beca has never explicitly said that she likes Chloe. Beca is her best friend. She can’t ruin that by constantly thinking like this. And, now that they’ve all graduated, they’re all moving in different directions. Well, unless she has a say in future living arrangements, that is.

So, Chloe does what she’s had years of practice with and shoves her feelings for Beca back into their secret drawer for the foreseeable future. She’ll wait for as long as it takes.

Chloe would wait for Beca forever.

As she sits on the rock, sipping what little is left of her watered-down drink, ignoring Aubrey and Stacie completely, Chloe allows herself to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

Kommissar really is beautiful.


End file.
